


Seeing Stars Through a Mirror

by Anonymous



Category: Kim Possible (Cartoon)
Genre: CHOOSE YOUR OWN ENDING BITCHES, Gen, THAT IS A PROMISE, Two canons diverged in a yellow wood, YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, and the above entered clusterfuck is why, be safe y'all, because i am a dumb bitch with terrible taste, but that means nothing in the long run, chose not to use the archive warnings bc im just on this side of most of them, he's a great character and he deserved more screentime, i will never change, i will never improve, in which zorpox sticks around a lot longer than the show had him, is this fandom even still active?, it's not funny, multi chapters for multi endings, nice to see you!, no beta we die like men, so this is a thing im gonna try out, the summary makes it seem funny, warnings listed inside, we should be allowed to change tag order after typing it in, well i mean im here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26278057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Zorpox. Such a stupid name. Kim could almost laugh if she hadn't been taken prisoner.
Relationships: Kim Possible & Ron Stoppable, Kim Possible & Shego, Kim Possible & Zorpox
Kudos: 9
Collections: Anonymous





	Seeing Stars Through a Mirror

**Author's Note:**

> **Timeline:** branch off from Season 3 Episode 4, Bad Boy. Kim and Ron are 17 at the beginning of this. Here is how I think their ages go throughout the series:
> 
> Season 1: Kim & Ron - 15, Wade & tweebs - 10  
> Season 2: Kim & Ron - 16, Wade & tweebs - 11  
> Season 3: Kim & Ron - 17, Wade & tweebs - 12
> 
> And all of their birthdays are during the summer or they probably would've at least been mentioned in an episode otherwise.
> 
> The moodulator incident never happened for reasons.
> 
> Oh and Ron's not blue because that never made sense to me. This detail has no bearing on the story, so feel free to picture it otherwise, but just so you know.
> 
> The line breaks can represent one or more of the following: time jump, topic jump, and/or a redirection in thought process. Just roll with it.
> 
> I tried to install some humor in this story and for the most part I fucking failed. And I unintentionally ignored Rufus. I could just find no opportunity to write him in and didn't realize until I was nearly finished.
> 
>  **Warnings:** (non-graphic, mostly off-screen) violence, (non-graphic, mostly off-screen) torture, (non-graphic, awkwardly & vaguely written) sexual situations, a lot of swearing (it's a kids' show, I kind of have to include this warning), one mentioned suicide attempt, talks of depression, and No Beta. And I suck with tenses. Like. Bad.
> 
> There is one OC who is given a name; they never talk. Don't worry, there are no Mary-Sues. Actually, the one OC is based off a character from another show (you don't need to know anything about the show because, as I said, this OC doesn't even get to speak). Bonus points to anyone who knows who they're based off of.  
> Disclaimer: I do not own the beautiful creation that is Kim Possible. Alas, she is the creative property of Disney. The title is a slightly edited lyric from Shatter Me (for musical artists, see below)
> 
>  **Story Soundtrack:** I Walk the Line cover by Halsey, Shatter Me by Lzzy Hale & Lindsay Stirling, You cover by Natalie Lungley, Innocence by Halestorm, Bring Me Love Games Evanescence & Lady Gaga mashup by Bruno Veland, Uninvited by Alanis Morissette, You Are My Sunshine cover by The Civil Wars, Everybody Wants to Rule the World cover by Lorde
> 
> The fact that I have to manually type in < b > < i > and < / b > < / i > is acephobic

****-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-** **

****Year One** **

****-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-** **

"So, this is your room. You have an in-suite through the left door and a walk in closet through the right. It's already half full, but there's some catalogues in your bedside drawer, so just circle anything you want. Your phone is linked to my walkie, just pick it up and talk. I'm here to answer any question you have, do anything you ask, and give you anything you want."

"I want to go home."

"No."

"I want to call my parents."

"No."

"Internet access."

"Look, princess, if I have to say 'no' to you one more time today and the boss man finds out, that's two hours of me in the deep freeze."

Kim looked at Shego and tried so hard to convince herself she was lying, but the carefully hidden fear on the henchwoman's face spoke volumes.

"…Does Netflix count as internet access?"

"I'll check."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

He knew all her weaknesses — the leg she broke when she was eleven that never set quite right, that the scent of pomegranates made her sick, how she was absolutely terrified of the idea of giant bugs, _everything_ — he knew it all. Of course he did. They had been best friends for thirteen years.

She never expected that to backfire on her.

It took Kim approximately two days to figure out what exactly was going on, but only two minutes for Shego to kidnap Ron — _Zorpox_ — and dump an ex-evil villain in her lap. From there it took two weeks to track the duo down and by then it was too late.

At the time, Kim had had no idea Shego could fight so hard, just as she'd had no idea about the desperation that fueled the villainess's every attack. The fight was close and Kim would swear up and down that she would've won if Zorpox had not known her so well.

Had Shego not attacked her weak side.

Had the lair not reeked of pomegranates.

Had Zorpox not unleashed giant fucking millipedes and oh god just the thought made Kim gag.

Then the heat jumped up to 110, and that and her exhaustion knocked her out. She woke up locked in a full body cage. All of her gadgets had been stripped from her. Drakken and Rufus had no way inside. There was no help coming.

She was given an ultimatum; either she did as Zorpox said or Zorpox unleashed his earthquake generator on whichever city he drew out of a hat.

Kim didn't want to believe him, but the live feed from a small town in Romania was very convincing. She was beaten. She surrendered.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Netflix doesn't count, so just give me a few minutes to get that set up for you," Shego told the teen hero, closing the door behind her. "'Til then, shower and change. Dinner is in three hours and you're required to be there."

"Really?"

Shego gave her a look. "Dress nice."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Dinner was awful. Not the food, of course. Zorpox prepared the food himself and Kim knew how skilled at cooking Ron was — _had been_ , she reminded herself viciously, because Ron wasn’t there, her best friend was _trapped_ inside that _monster_ and she _couldn't do a_ ** _ **goddamn thing**_** _—_

**_**SHUT UP** _ **

Kim spent the first 20 minutes of the meal trying to convince Zorpox to let her go. Zorpox spent the next 20 minutes explaining to her exactly what he wouldn't give her and the punishments for asking. Not to her, no, Ron — _Zorpox damn it_ — Zorpox would never hurt her, but he had absolutely no qualms about hurting Shego or any of the other minions he apparently had. He may have promised to leave the rest of the world alone as long as Kim stayed put, but anyone in the lair was apparently fair game.

Kim couldn't leave, she couldn't have any access to the outside world, and Zorpox wasn't going to get rid of the earthquake generator. But anything else, Zorpox assured her, she need only ask for.

Kim left in a rage. Shego later told her that if she left before the end of a meal without being excused again, Zorpox would start breaking arms.

Kim had every Lush product available and more Club Banana cargo capris than she knew what to do with. She had a personal servant and a TV as big as her entire wall. She could have any material possession she desired. She could have the Mona Lisa if she asked.

She hated it.

She vowed never to ask Zorpox for anything.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She only tried to keep up with her martial arts training for a week. Zorpox said he wanted his guards to study her progress so they could later try to get up to her level. They weren't allowed to sleep or even blink while she was training. They weren't allowed to rest until they were as good as her.

Six henchmen were hospitalized. Two went mad.

She decided to take up yoga.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She spent the first six months trying to find the earthquake generator so she could destroy it. That's how long it took before Zorpox decided to stop humoring her. At that point, he sat her down and explained very politely that the lair and the EG were in two separate, undisclosed locations, and should Kim ever manage to escape to locate the EG, Zorpox would shoot a henchman for every half-hour she was gone until she was found and returned. Failure to come back before Zorpox ran out of henchmen would result in him giving the order to use the EG on Middleton.

“Now, I’m not one to tell you what to do,” Zorpox had said, his voice so very friendly and his eyes so very not. “I would _never_ try to tell you what to do. I just want you to be aware of the consequences of your actions.”

The next day, Kim walked up to one of the outside doors. They opened for her. Not a single henchman moved to stop her. She took a single step outside and stood there, breathed deep for a moment, and returned to her room.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The next three months Kim spent not saying a word.

Eventually, Zorpox ordered Shego to drop a henchman off of a staircase over and over until Kim ordered her to stop.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"You've got to stop pissing off Zorpox, princess."

Shego had called her 'Kimmie' once since the villainess had been assigned to her. Kim attacked her. Shego stuck to 'princess' from then on.

"Why?" Kim demanded. "He ruined my life. He's _still_ ruining my life. Why should I play nice?"

Shego clenched her jaw.

"…You know, I attacked him during those two weeks before you found us," Shego told her, seemingly apropos of nothing. "I just refused to believe your goofy sidekick could be any sort of threat. Even after I saw the horrible things he could create, I didn't think for a second that he was any sort of match for me."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

" _Everything_ ," Shego insisted, "because he _was_ a match for me. He had this fucking… _glowy_ … _mystical_ … _ninja shit_ and a force field against my energy blasts and he kicked my ass in four minutes flat."

"It was monkey kung fu."

"I don't give a fuck." Shego had a tendency to swear when she was trying to make a point. "He told me the only way anyone could keep a dangerous pet was if it was harmless, but what was the point of a _harmless_ dangerous pet?" She started to take off her gloves. "Solution: control the danger."

Her hands were not flesh.

"He made these himself, you know," Shego told the teen. "These are the most advanced prosthesis in the world. They can do everything regular hands can do — hell, I can still shoot energy, don't ask me how. They won't shoot at him, though, and he can turn them off whenever he wants." She pulled her gloves back on. "It took me two days to make him that angry. You've been trying his patience since day one."

Kim stared at her, cold and silent. She set her jaw and swallowed.

"He won't hurt me."

"He'll hurt everyone else. He'll burn this fucking world to the ground."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"If I tell you I hate you will you bring out another whipping boy?"

"Oh Kim, your freedom to speak your mind is one thing I have no plans of taking away."

"I hate you."

"I cherish your honesty."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The only thing Kim would say to him after that was how much she hated him and hated her life with him.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zorpox destroyed a training room.

****-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-** **

****Year Two** **

****-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-** **

Zorpox gave her extra guards during the first week of year two. Shego was still her main attendant, but he insisted she have a few more… well, he called them 'assistants'. Kim called them 'jailers'. Shego called them more people for Kim to get attached to so Zorpox had that many more people to threaten for her compliance.

Shego insisted there was something the villain found more satisfying in hurting someone Kim knew personally. Nameless minions didn't make as much of an impact, the henchwoman claimed.

There were two; Mae, a pretty Asian woman who seemed to share Shego's suspicions for why she was there and thus avoided Kim as much as possible, and Eric, a handsome white man who seemed to have the exact opposite idea as Mae.

The first time Eric tried to talk to her, Kim told him very firmly that the two of them were _not_ friends.

"Just trying to make conversation," Eric said innocently.

"I don't make conversation with the people imprisoning me," Kim said. "That includes the people working for him."

"You chat with Shego."

"It's her or Zorpox." _Her or Zorpox who is Ron but not Ron because Ron is trapped Ron is trapped Ron is_ ** _ **trapped**_** _Ron is_ ** _ **gone**_** _gone gonegonegone_ ** _ **gonede**_** — "And Shego doesn't squirm when I talk about my period."

"I guess that's one reason to talk to someone."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Eric didn't squirm either when Kim went in to graphic detail about her indigestion and her blood flow and how she used to prefer tampons to pads but now that she had a much less active lifestyle she used pads more because they cramped less.

Eric brought her a gel heating pad and a jumbo chocolate bar next time he saw her.

Kim still didn't like him.

It was really good chocolate, though.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Why is Eric so nice to me?"

"Apparently he was a big fan of yours back in the day. You saved his favorite aunt from a monsoon or something."

And that was yet another reason Kim talked to Shego.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"I'm not a hero anymore."

"You're still amazing."

"Don't talk to me again."

Kim was already too attached to one of her jailers — her almost sisterly affection for Shego borne of shared helplessness and necessity — she didn't need another 'friend'.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim decided to take up an instrument. It was just about the only thing she could think of that Zorpox couldn't ruin for her, and she had already been meaning to learn before this whole mess happened.

Two days after she told Shego, Kim got a hang drum and an instructor.

"So what made you pick the hang drum?" Her instructor was — of freaking course — Eric.

"I like the sound." _Ron thought they were cool._

"Fair enough. Ok, so here's what you do."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim asked Shego if there was any chance she could get a different instructor.

Shego asked Kim how many hang drum players she thought Zorpox had access to.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"You know," Eric said quietly, his voice only barely audible over the sound of their drums, "I heard about these two twin geniuses who got bumped up all the way from middle school to high school."

"Huh."

"Yeah. They're only twelve or something."

Kim said nothing.

"But what can you expect with their parents? I mean, seriously, a brain surgeon and a rocket scientist."

Kim stopped playing.

"You ok, Kim?"

"…That's really… good for them."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Eric became her only source of information on her family. Even Shego was too scared to tell her anything, but Eric whispered things to her during their lessons.

Monique got promoted at Club Banana and had started taking self-defense classes.

Wade won another government grant for mechanical engineering and the security system he'd installed at the Possible place.

The cheer squad dedicated every competition routine to her.

Mom had just saved a senator.

Dad sent a probe to Jupiter.

The tweebs were attempting to carry on the Kim Possible name and had begun taking the occasional mission from Wade.

The Stoppables adopted a little girl named Hana.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim hated them.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

How could they try to replace Ron? _How_ ** _ **dare**_** _they._ They never deserved him in the first place. Kim should've just moved Ron into her closet like they planned when they were eight and Ron's mom's job almost got transferred to Oklahoma.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Pomegranates made Kim sick because when she was seven, Ron tried to make her a new dessert he'd found in one of the cookbooks from the library. It had a pomegranate sauce that Ron decided to make on the grown up stove while his parents were upstairs instead of using his EZ-Bake Oven.

Of course, Ron managed to burn it. The stove was too high up, and something spilled over and caught fire in the brief moment Ron didn’t pay it enough attention. He'd burned things before and had the fire out before it could spread — before his father could get downstairs, even — but Kim had never been in an emergency situation before and it terrified her.

She learned three things;

  1. the fire extinguisher was in the pantry
  2. pomegranates smell like death when they're burnt
  3. Ron was great in an emergency



She kept that with her for ten years.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zorpox gave her a garden — the closest she allowed herself to the outdoors — and though Kim was only able to water and weed, she demanded the gardeners plant pomegranate trees. She kept the fruits in her room for four months before the scent no longer made her gag.

After that she ordered all the pomegranate trees be replaced with orange trees. She refused to let her life become any more of a cliché than it already had.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zorpox brought in a circus troupe to perform for her 19th birthday.

She only briefly considered stowing away in one of their animal's cages. She did, however, sneak letters into their luggage with a plea to send them to her parents.

Zorpox gave the opened letters back to her at dinner that night. The troupe was too scared to keep them from him. The next day, Eric showed up to their lesson with bandaged ribs.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"I hate you."

"And I'm glad we had this talk."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

What Kim eventually realized about Zorpox was that, at his core, he was basically Ron. He liked the same stuff and wanted the same things. He had the same dramatic flair. He just didn't give a damn about anyone anymore.

Except Kim.

He was still Ron, and Kim could never hate Ron. She could be mad at him or upset with him or annoyed with him, but she couldn't hate him. He was her best friend.

That epiphany hurt more than anything.

****-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-** **

****Year Three** **

****-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-** **

She took up ballet during her third year in captivity. With how flexible her body already was, yoga never strained her muscles as much as she was used to. She missed the way her limbs would burn after a proper workout.

Zorpox never let her strain herself so much. Ballet, however, he let her have, as long as she performed for him.

She danced as perfectly as she'd once done everything else in her life.

Zorpox clapped. Kim left.

The next day she practiced until she threw up.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

He was her best friend and he tortured people.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

He was her best friend and he tortured her.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim wondered what Stockholm Syndrome felt like.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She was required to attend dinner with Zorpox every evening. She tried to skip once. Shego later told her that Zorpox had ordered one of the henchmen to eat every last thing off the table.

He did not mean just the food.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zorpox carried the conversation at every meal. He talked about his day, what he'd seen on TV, what video games he'd beaten. He made funny comments about something he'd seen on the news.

He always tried so hard to sound just like Ron.

He always succeeded.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She used to scream after their dinners. She refused to let herself cry because of him. Screaming was her only outlet, so she screamed, though not where he could hear. Never where he could hear.

Eventually she learned to choke it down.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Eventually she taught herself not to feel anything at all.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Her best friend wasn't her best friend.

Her arch foe wasn't her arch foe.

Her guard wasn't her guard.

Kim wasn't herself.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Over time, Zorpox replaced his henches. Shego told her about it. Zorpox wanted her to know.

Slowly but surely, he sent away the ones dumb enough to volunteer for evil plots in hopes of power and traded them for stunt doubles, security guards, martial artists, weapons specialists. Anyone he could con into thinking they were applying for a normal job, anyone with a family he could aim a gun at.

“He doesn’t trust regular henchmen around you,” Shego had told her. “He wants to limit your exposure to villains.”

“He wants me to feel guilty.”

“He wants you to feel something.”

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_Would it hurt to die?_

****-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-** **

****Year Four** **

****(Present Time)** **

****-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-** **

"You can't run."

"Of course not."

"You can't talk to anyone."

"I know."

"You can't leave my sight."

"I won't."

"Then let's go."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Somehow, Shego managed to convince Zorpox to let Kim out of the lair. Kim wasn't sure how she did it. She didn't care how she did it. Kim didn't care about much anymore.

She wondered what depression felt like.

Kim and Shego were loaded onto a plane with only the pilots and Kim's guards. To keep Kim from getting too many clues to their location, the plane didn't have windows. It didn't have much, actually, just a stereo, two Kindles, and a deck of Uno cards.

Mae immediately took one of the Kindles and retreated to the seat closest to the cockpit. Kim, Shego, and Eric claimed the Uno cards and played until the plane touched down.

Shego cheated, but Kim had always been vicious with her draw four cards. It was a close game.

Eric won somehow.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim was a brunette. She was brunette with brown eyes, a wider nose, and horn-rimmed glasses. Shego was blonde and blue-eyed wearing some full body hologram to give her a normal skin tone.

Eric and Mae looked the same. They weren't infamous.

"Remember, Rachel," Shego — or Lauren, for the moment — whispered to her, "you don't talk to anyone. At all. For any reason. For the purpose of this visit, you're mute, got it?"

Kim nodded.

"What, are we gonna say her vocal chords are damaged or something?" Eric asked while Mae climbed out of the car and disappeared into the crowd.

"Yes," Shego answered immediately. "From a house fire. Smoke inhalation. And it's not 'we', it's 'I'. _You_ are gonna go disappear into the crowd like Mae did."

Eric looked at her like she was joking.

"Go, you idiot."

" _Fine_."

Eric left. Kim and Shego made their way through the town.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

They were in India, or at least somewhere _near_ India, if Kim had to guess. There were so many sounds and so many colors and _so many people_ and Kim was no one, just another silly tourist on another crowded street.

No one she encountered spoke English anyway and Kim wasn't allowed near any news sources, but it was the most alive she felt in over three years.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zorpox let her go back. Never to the same place twice, but he let her go.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

God, Kim had missed clothes shopping. She missed trying things on before buying them; she missed modelling outfits to her friends to get a second opinion; she missed digging through racks for anything someone might have hid to double back for.

Catalogs just weren't the same.

Kim stepped out of the dressing room and gave a twirl.

"Not your color," Shego decided after a minute. She had surprisingly good taste. "Find it in green." Kim raised an eyebrow. "I'm saying that because it's true, not because green is my favorite color." Kim raised her other eyebrow. "Fine, a soft purple would work, too. Washed-out soft, not pastel soft."

Kim went back to the racks as Shego waved off another sales person.

"After this we're going off to the spa," Shego told Kim. "I've booked us full body treatments in 40 minutes. They have this new skin specialist — DeeDee; they say she's the best."

Kim nodded and went back to digging.

God, she'd missed people.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

" _God_ , I missed spa days," Shego moaned as the masseuse dug deep into her back. "Ah- _aah_ , lower. Just a little lo— _oh_ right there. How ya doin', princess?"

Kim was doing great. She couldn't feel her face from her facial treatment, but she couldn't bring herself to care. In a good way.

She'd been waxed and plucked within an inch of her life, but she had never felt more relaxed. She and Shego had already had their mud baths, avocado/honey face masks, and mani-pedis.

After their deep tissue massage, they were off to see the famous DeeDee for their sea salt body scrub and seaweed wraps.

"This is the life."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"You girls are to be knowing English, yes?" DeeDee asked. Kim had no idea what her accent was, but it was thick. "My English is not so very good, so I am hoping to be having your patience."

"Yeah yeah, patience." Shego waved her arm carelessly. "Let's get to the good stuff."

"Of course," DeeDee agreed. "Please to sit down and we shall be beginning the sea salt scrub. I shall be starting with face and limbs."

Kim and Shego sat back in the salon chairs as DeeDee puttered about.

"Brace yourself, princess," Shego said. "This is gonna be a ride."

And the chairs disappeared.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She _knew_ it. She _fucking knew it_. Or at least she should've known it. Of course, Zorpox would find a way to ruin this for her. What was he trying to accomplish? Let Kim feel _good_ for the first time since she was _seventeen_ and then just rip it away for what? More mind games? _Why_ —

 _Wait_.

"Dr. Director?"

"Hello, Ms. Possible. Welcome back to Global Justice."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

DeeDee. Doctor Director.

Kim wasn't sure if it was too obvious or not.

"Shego, _you've_ been working with _Global Justice_?"

"Stuff it, princess, I'm still not a good guy." The henchwoman sneered distastefully. "Zorpox just scares the hell out of me."

"And with the havoc he's been wreaking, he needs to be taken down," Dr. Director added.

"Havoc?" Kim asked. "But we had a deal." _I swear to God, if I've been locked up all these years for nothing_ _…_ _._

"Relax, princess, he hasn't been using the EG," Shego said. "But he _has_ been keeping you out of commission, which let a _lot_ of villains have free reign."

"He's also been thwarting GJ's efforts to stop said villains," Dr. Director said. "We believe he’s doing it for fun."

"And most of the villains you've fought personally have mysteriously gone missing." Shego sighed. "Including Dr. D."

Kim put her hand on Shego’s shoulder, knowing the two had shared a rather strange bond, despite their constant bickering. Shego patted her hand a shrugged it off. They walked on.

"We don't know what Zorpox is doing and we don't know why, but we do know he must be stopped." Dr. Director lead the two women to an office and sat them both down. "Here's the plan we've come up with."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"What about Eric?"

"He's completely unaware of this."

"Mae?"

"She's with us."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Not from me, but we do have someone waiting to speak with you."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Wade!"

"Kim!"

Kim had never given much thought to Wade's partiality to appearing only on screen, but she had also never wanted to hug someone so badly.

She hugged the screen instead.

"I've missed you so much."

"We've all missed you, too, Kim," Wade told her, smiling gently.

It was weird, Kim thought. Wade was now fifteen, nearly sixteen. He'd hit puberty, his voice coming out a little lower and his jawline more pronounced. He'd grown out his hair and changed his wardrobe and Kim was sure he'd gone through a growth spurt. He wasn't a little kid anymore. She'd missed so much.

She sighed, feeling just a tad bittersweet. "So, what's the sitch?"

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Shego?"

"I'll help."

"Let's do it."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim was in her dance/yoga studio. She'd made a new game for herself. She called it "hold the most uncomfortable position you can think of until you collapse into an unresponsive heap". Her current record was 45 minutes. She broke two toes for that record.

It was a terrible name for a terrible game, but she was never particularly creative. Ron was the creative one. She'd always envied that about him.

She picked her pose and held.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

They had a plan, they were going to fix this, fix everything, and she’d never be locked up again.

She felt chaotic, overwhelmed, completely out of her mind. It was a welcome change from the nothingness of before, but she wasn’t sure how well she could contain it. She hadn’t felt in so long, not a thing, not in over a year.

(Well, one thing, one time, months ago. It had been a day when she’d lingered on the memories of her free-falls, of the time she'd almost disappeared from embarrassment, of every weapon conceived just to be used against her. A day when she'd so badly ached for her previous freedom that she escaped her guards and tried to leap from the roof. Eric saved her at the last second and Zorpox confined her to a padded cell for three weeks straight before Shego talked him around. She didn't like to remember it.

Everything disappeared again after that.)

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She hadn't been on a mission in so long. She hadn't done much of anything in so long. And now she had two months to secretly get back into fighting form.

GJ planned to strike on her birthday when defenses were lowered. Shego said Zorpox was going to invite another performance troupe into the lair. Ballet, this time, she'd told them.

All GJ agents, Dr. Director had said.

Mae would sneak them access codes when she showed the "dancers" to their stage. The disguised agents would use the time from door to stage to drop bugs throughout the lair that would scatter and create a blueprint of the building. Once Kim's birthday dinner began, the agents would preform and leave as Zorpox had scheduled, then return hours later using the codes Mae had given them.

Shego would lead the fight from there.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"I can't live like this anymore, princess. I just can't do it."_

_"And how the fuck do you think I feel?" Kim had picked up some bad tendencies from Shego. "What if this doesn't work, huh? What if you fail and you're killed and I'm left here alone? You think of that?"_

_"You wouldn't be alone," Shego told her "Why do you think we never tried to bring Eric in on this? We get caught, he's still around for you."_

_"I don't want Eric."_

_"Beggars and choosers, kid."_

_"I'm twenty."_

_"You're a kid."_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim would be on her own secret mission.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"By order of the United Nations, Zorpox is not to be taken in alive."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"They're gonna kill the little psychopath."_

_"Shego!"_

_"Wade!"_

_"Kim! I'm not going to let them do that. I have an idea."_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She felt calm. 

She hadn't expected this for her birthday. She’d expected more chaos, more instability, more nothingness if she couldn’t muster the enthusiasm.

Calm was a surprise. Steady. Certain. Something surged within her, something firm and unyielding and not felt in years. She had forgotten what this felt like.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"And how, exactly, am I meant to distract him while all of this is happening?"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Kim, are you ok?"

There was no right answer to that question.

"I'm fine, Eric. Why do you ask?"

"Don't worry, Kim. Your birthday's gonna be great."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

 _"Oh, I dunno, princess. How_ does _a pretty woman distract a man? Hmmm, let me think about it."_

_"Shego!"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"I know."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Dinner was delectable. The agents/dancers were beautiful. The dress Zorpox had had made for her was a masterpiece of silk and lace.

Kim wanted to disappear.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zorpox escorted her to her room. He did this every birthday and holiday. Hanukkah was a tough time for her.

"Sleep tight, KP."

Mainly because of that.

As per tradition, Kim didn't speak.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"Do you think you can do it, Kim?"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Until she did.

"Ron's dead, isn't he?"

Kim didn't turn around. She didn't falter in her movements. She opened her door and walked right in to her room.

She left the door open.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"I can do anything."_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Breaking tradition, are we?" Zorpox looked around the room as if it was new to him. As if he didn't have cameras in every corner. Kim changed in her closet for years until the empty days started and it just didn't seem worth the effort anymore.

"Shut up." Kim moved to her stereo and put in a CD. One of Britina’s softer songs played through the room.

"Now that would _really_ be breaking tradition, wouldn't it?"

"Ron's dead. _Isn't. He_ _?"_

Zorpox took a seat on Kim's sofa. "Yes. Ron's gone."

Kim knew it — had known it for the longest time — but having it confirmed by the villain at long last almost brought her to her knees.

"But I like to think he lives on through me."

" _Shut up_ _!"_ She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. Her best friend. Her _very best friend_ was just…. "You killed him."

It was like a punch to the gut — a Shego punch to the gut with a fist full of fire and way too much rage.

_But now is not the time to think about that._

Zorpox smiled accommodatingly and sat back in his seat, mockingly zipping his mouth and throwing away the key.

"I'm going to pretend," Kim told him. "I am going to pretend that you're Ron and _you_ aregoing to pretend that you're Ron and together we might just make this a birthday worth having."

"Are we really?"

"We'd fucking better."

"Your command is my wish, KP."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"I don't understand what the big deal is," Shego said as she laid back and enjoyed her seaweed wrap._

_They were still in GJ Headquarters, but their briefing was done so Dr. Director had ordered for them to have their skin treatments. Zorpox was scary smart and none of the women would put it past him to notice that they hadn't finished their spa day. Dr. Director also ordered that their treatments be completed at Headquarters while two clone-like things called 'Synthodrones' received similar treatments at the actual spa, just in case anyone looked in on them._

_Kim thought she knew why they weren't just sent back, but didn't want to say anything. She was half afraid Dr. Director would change her mind if she did. Unless she was fighting with her brother, the older woman never really liked to acknowledge that she had emotions._

_"What do you mean you '_ don't understand what the big deal is _'?!" Kim screeched._ "You want me to _—_ _" She cut herself off, remembering all the people who could probably hear her. When she spoke again, it was in a whisper; "You want me to_ _…_ that _. With_ Zorpox _."_

 _"Wow, can't even say the word," Shego mocked. "You are just_ adorable _."_

"Shego _—_ _"_

 _"And I_ don't understand what the big deal is _," the villainess interrupted,_ "because _it's not like_ _it’s_ _anything new."_

_Kim blinked. "What?"_

_Shego scoffed. "Don't you even try and tell me you haven't hit that before."_

"WHAT?"

_Shego looked at Kim for the first time since the beginning of their conversation. "What? I don't care. You two were friends for thirteen years; it's only natural to take advantage of the situation to learn things. No shame here."_

_"Ron and I didn't_ _—_ _We've_ never _—_ _I haven't_ _—_ _" Kim sputtered._ "Why does no one believe us when we say we're just friends _?"_

_"Friends can have benefits."_

"We _._ Didn't _._ "

_"Of course not, princess." Shego winked at her. "Whatever you say."_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim curled up under Zorpox's arm in the middle of her couch nest. Kim had ordered one in her first year of captivity, in memory of the one Ron had bought for them when he had been a millionaire. It had installed in the Stoppables' basement. They would collapse into it together after tough missions and play Quips and Chains — a Ron-named game of word association and sass.

She did not play that game with Zorpox. They just laid together in their shared pajamas — another Team Possible tradition — Kim in the over large nightshirt and Zorpox in the drawstring bottoms. Britina continued to play in the background. The heartbreak song ended and an edgier tune began.

Kim leaned up and kissed him.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

They never had. Never ever. Not even once, no matter what Shego said. That wasn't how the duo worked. Ron wasn't a boy, he was Ron; Kim wasn't a girl, she was Kim. There were no crushes, no tension, none of the exploration Shego accused them of. They simply meshed, like two sexless entities. Had Kim's life not spiraled so completely out of her control, the thought would never have crossed her mind.

Kim had always been sure the thought had never crossed Ron's.

He kissed back.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

 _"Don't you think he'll find it suspicious to go from blatant hatred to something we never even did when he_ wasn't _evil?"_

 _"It's basic psychology, princess. He'll want so bad for it to be true he won't_ let _himself consider that it isn't."_

 _"Except_ that won't happen _because Ron and I were_ never like that _!"_

 _"Ok, maybe_ you _weren't, but I'm not so sure about him."_

_"I think I knew Ron better than you."_

_"Oh really?"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim didn't know what she expected. For Zorpox to be awkward and blushing, as Ron would have been? For her to realize she had been in love with Ron, as every movie cliché demanded? For Zorpox to pull away and smirk and say "Nice try, Kim"? Kim didn't know what she expected, but if she'd let herself think about it long enough beforehand to build an expectation, it probably would have been this.

It wasn't bad. It wasn't great. It wasn't anything, really, just the feeling of skin against skin, no more intimate than when they brushed hands reaching for nachos or pressed thighs in the back seat of her parents' car.

Zorpox seemed to have some idea what he was doing, which was good because Kim had only the faintest of clues. He opened his mouth and pushed Kim back against the cushions and she fought down the urge to push him off. She couldn't let him stop now. Not now. Not yet.

He bit down on her lip and she moaned.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim and Ron used to kiss each other all the time. They mostly stuck to cheek kissing, occasionally the forehead, and once or twice there was an accidental lip peck when one of them turned their head at the wrong time. They did it for years until their parents started giggling about how cute their little romance was. Anne and Barbara Jo once jokingly planned a wedding, debating whether or not it was fairer to have a Jewish, Christian, or non-denominational ceremony.

That was when Kim and Ron learned about something sucky and annoying called "assumptions" and then, even suckier and even more annoying, "romantic comedies". If they continued to be as touchy as they'd always been with each other, everyone would assume they were dating. They weren't really concerned with entering romantic relationships at that time, so they weren't really concerned with the assumptions ruining their chances with other people, but that people would refuse to take them at their word when they said they were just friends would get very frustrating very fast. It was bad enough dealing with their parents.

They decided to keep some distance from each other. Once that turned out to be hellish, they decided to keep some _public_ distance from each other.

They didn't kiss again.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Too fast. Everything is going too too fast and Kim doesn't know what to do. She wants to shut down but Zorpox would get suspicious. She wants to speed things along and get this over with, but that would defeat the purpose of being a distraction in the first place. She feels she should act happy, but she knows she can't. She feels she should act lustful, but she doesn't know how.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

 _"The man threatens the world, kills and tortures countless people, makes every villain you've ever faced disappear, and you think this is_ friendship _turned obsessive?" Shego is incredulous, and with things listed the way she has them, it does seem impossible, but Shego doesn't understand. She'_ _d_ _never had a friend like Kim had_ _had_ _Ron. Shego never knew someone so well it was almost like reading their mind. She never had the same person right by her side through every major event in her life. She was never so close with someone that the filter from brain to mouth wasn't turned off, it just didn't exist._

_No topic was ever taboo between the two of them. Had Ron loved Kim as Shego claimed, he would have said something, and though Kim would not have been in love with him in return, she would have apologized and kissed him and he would have apologized and kissed back and then they would go back to how they'd always been until his feelings faded._

_Shego just_ didn't understand _and Kim doesn't know how to explain it to her, so she simply says, "Yes, I do." And that is the end of it._

_Her's and Ron's friendship had been the only constant in her life, her all-encompassing knowledge of it her only solace in her imprisonment, and she would not let the unwanted opinions of a villainess take it away from her._

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Ron was never in love with her. Never ever.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"Stoppable was stupid in love with you."_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She would have noticed.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"How could you not have noticed?"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She was going to pretend he was.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"_ _Don’t pretend you didn’t see it_ _."_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

If he's in love with her, she's not a distraction. She's not using the only thing left that she has any power over to manipulate a murderer. She's just doing something for her friend, something she thinks she would've done way back when, had he only asked. Something she thinks he would've done for her.

She has no reason to feel so cheap.

He pushed her shirt up.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She knew she should've let her parents give her the sex talk, but _nooo_. She was so desperate to postpone that debacle she made them promise to lay off until she got a serious boyfriend.

She should've let Shego give her a crash course when the older woman offered. But again. Debacle.

What was Zorpox doing? Why was he putting his hands there? Why was everything teeth and tongue and pressure? Why did his lips feel so good on her neck?

What was _Kim_ meant to be doing? Where were her hands supposed to go? Where was her mouth supposed to be? Tongues seemed to be very important. How should she be using hers? She felt so out of her depth. It was not a feeling she enjoyed.

She knew the mechanics — peg A into slot B — but surely there must be more to it? This is how _babies_ were made. This is how two people came together to _grow a human being_. It couldn't just be _grunt grunt snore_ as Monique had once complained about an ex-boyfriend of hers.

Kim should've talked to Shego. She should've studied ahead in biology. She should've borrowed those steamy romance novels Ron had loved so much.

It seemed Zorpox didn't need Kim to do anything. He just made his way down down down….

Kim's eyes rolled back.

She wondered which novel he'd learned _that_ from.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim had seen Ron naked before. Ron had seen Kim naked before. It was inevitable, really, with how much time they'd spent together. It hadn't happened in years — even before everything went to hell — once Ron got the impression that seeing someone naked that you didn't intend to marry was disrespectful. After that he covered his eyes at the slightest hint that Kim was about to undress.

Kim didn't see things that way — how was seeing someone naked so wrong if the naked person didn't care? — but she adapted to Ron's ways. She didn't want him to think she didn't respect him, after all.

She didn't know exactly which part had changed when he threw off the last of their clothes. As Shego's suspicions echoed through the back of her mind, she wasn't sure she wanted to.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The agents should've completely infiltrated the lair by the time Kim wrapped her legs around Zorpox's waist. They should've neutralized all the henchpeople by the time Zorpox moved inside of her. Shego would be there soon to continue their secret mission. With how big the lair was, they had maybe seven minutes, at the most.

She reached above her head to grasp at the couch cushions.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Shego would be out of the security room and down the hall.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim rolled them over.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Past the laboratory and Zorpox's chambers.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She rocked her hips and leaned down, laying her body flat against his.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Through the passageway hidden behind the two-way mirror in Kim's studio.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

She bit his shoulder and he stiffened.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

One right turn, then two lefts.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

He gripped her hips so tightly, his hips pushing up into hers one last time before sinking bonelessly back into the couch, leaving Kim empty once again.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Shego was waiting. She had to be waiting. Kim had to act.

Zorpox grabbed her hand, the syringe an inch from his neck.

"Come on, KP." He smiled mockingly at her. "It's not that simple."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Shego was no longer waiting.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zorpox pulled his pants back on in the second it took Shego to jump down from the hidden passage in the high-vaulted ceiling of Kim's room.

Kim pulled on the jumpsuit Shego had hidden for her and joined in the fight, but it didn't matter anymore. Zorpox had mystical monkey power. He had control over Shego's strongest weapon. He was in better shape than Kim was.

He had the syringe.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

 _"Complete psychological cleansing. It should eradicate all traces of the Attitudinator, but he'll be volatile for at least twelve hours as his brain readjusts so we'll have to get him constrained as soon as possible after injection. The chemical is fast acting, and it'll knock him out for_ _half an hour_ _,_ maybe _forty-five minutes_ _if you're lucky. You need to wait for the very last moment to use it."_

_"While you're keeping Zorpox busy, the do-gooder squad and I will be neutralizing the henches and shutting down all operations. You'll need to distract him for at least the hench takedown, so about twenty-five, thirty minutes. I'll meet with you while the others are taking apart everything."_

_"And how, exactly, am I meant to distract him while all of this is happening?"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zorpox had added a lot of surprises to Shego's new hands. Every time she tried to attack him, she would get an electric shock, each one stronger and longer than the last the more she tried to fight. She made it until Kim smelled burning flesh before the older woman collapsed.

As for Kim…. Well, she was out of shape. Even with Zorpox's reluctance to really hurt her, she was down only minutes after he'd shifted his attention from Shego.

"We'll talk later, Kimberly," Zorpox said to the downed heroine before turning back to his treacherous servant. "As for you." Kim blacked out.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

When Kim came to, Shego was screaming — not shouting, not yelling, _screaming_ — every time Zorpox opened his mouth.

Kim didn't know how he was doing it. Maybe there was a voice recognition system. Maybe a camera attuned to hand signals. Maybe it was mystical monkey juju giving him fucking mind powers because why not make everything worse.

"How dare you? After all I've done for you? The mercy I've shown?"

Shego wouldn't be able to scream much longer.

"I _spared your life_ , _She-go_. I didn't have to do that, you know. I could've thrown you in the same pit as your former employer and left you there to eat each other."

The smell of burning flesh was stronger than ever as the woman was reduced to coarse sobs.

"Are you crying? Are you _crying_? You—"

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"I can't live like this anymore, princess."_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim couldn't move. She didn't know why, but she couldn't. She couldn't fight. She couldn't do anything. She was ninety-six percent sure it wasn't psychological.

"Stop it."

"Excuse me?"

"Stop hurting her."

"No." Zorpox had never denied her before. She'd never given him a chance, phrasing each want as an order rather than a request. But he'd never denied her anything short of her freedom.

"Yes."

" _No_."

Shego started to seize.

" _Leave her alone_ _!"_

" ** _ **Why should I**_** _?!"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"I just can't do it."_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

" _I have offered you everything you could have ever_ ** _ **dreamed**_** _of and you've thrown it in my face!_ I would have given you _anything_ and all you've ever done is spat at me and now you _dare_ order me to release this— this **_**thing**_** _?!_ _"_

Zorpox started to glow and Kim wanted nothing more than to grab Shego and hide but whatever was wrong with her wasn't wearing off and besides that, there was nowhere to go. Zorpox had the place wired. He knew everything. He probably knew about the GJ agents and now he was going to kill Shego and probably Kim and then destroy the world for the sheer hell of it.

He was close and glowing and terrifying and everything was floating and crashing into the walls. " _What is it you want from me, Kim_ _?"_

Her family, her freedom, a doctor for Shego, a _goddamn reason to live_ —

"Ron." Her voice cracked and everything collapsed.

He stared at her. She couldn't read his expression. It had been so long since she had been able to read that face.

"I want Ron back."

Shego was still but Kim was sure she was breathing. She had to still be breathing.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_"What if you fail and you're killed and I'm left here alone? You think of that?"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Kim couldn't live like this anymore, either.

" _Please_."

" _Now_ you learn to ask."

Everything went dark again.

**Author's Note:**

> At some point, I will drag the multiple endings kicking and screaming out of my skull and onto a word document. Until that time, please validate me. I need it for reasons.


End file.
